“A text alert could waken you,” Fischer says “but it could also save your life, so please if you hear any of the sirens or get messages tonight take cover.”

Mayor Fischer says his budget for the next fiscal year will include provisions for enhanced emergency alert systems. The city will use the money to implement technology to get alerts to inform citizens more effectively of unsafe conditions.

“The city is in the midst of purchasing some technology on emergency alert systems that will allow for various alerts, text, email, phone calls, what have you, however,” he says “that system is not yet in place, that came about after the Rubbertown incident, the requests for proposals have been put out and now those are being evaluated.”

The Mayor called a press conference Tuesday morning ahead of predicted severe weather over the next couple of days to remind citizens of ways to stay aware of hazardous weather.

These announcements come weeks after MetroSafe officials failed to sound the civil defense sirens during a tornado warning and residents complained of ambiguous alerts following chemical spills.

MetroDafe Director Doug Hamilton says the organization has improved their equipment and procedures to ensure that all employees are aware of the need to sound the sirens.